Standing-valve connection



Oct.` 11, 1927.

R.I w. GUNN ET AL i STANDING VALVE ,CONNECTION Filed March 13, 192e Y sheets-sheet;

Oct. 11, 1927. 1,644,998

R. W. GUNN ET AL STANDING VALVE CONNECTION j Mor/7gg Oct. 11,1927.

R. w. GUNN ET AL sTANDING VALVE CONNECTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Marchv l5, 1826 i@ m W5. Z. www

Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

lllllh STS l-TENT FFICE..

RBERT VI. AND 'WILLSIE A.. S.. THOMPSGN, OF' LOS' ANGELES, CALFORNIA.

STANDING-VALVE CNNEGTEON.

Application filed March 13, 1925*. Serial No. 9%411.

This invention has to do generally with means for releasably coupling standing valves to plunger elements of deep well pui-nps whereby such valves may be set and withdrawn through the medium of the sucker rods by which the plungers are suspended and reciprocated.

The device is of the general type wherein the standing' valve and plunger element are completely separable (in counter-distinction to the type wherein a Garbutt rod constantly connects them) but have interlocking elements which are adapted to engage when the pump plunger is lowered beyond its f working stroke into contact with the standing valve. the locking and unlocking of the ele-ments being accomplished by rotation of the sucker rods, either through manipulation from the top of the well or by cam action occr-.rring` between said elements during relative longitudinal movement thereof.

The invention is more particularly concerned with devices of the above mentioned type wlierein connection and disconnection ot plunger element and standing valve are made through the threadable engagement of a nut on one with a shank on the other.

In our cti-pending application on standing va ve connection, filed December l, 1924, Serial No. 753,@3, we have shown such a device. the coupling consisting of a threaded shankon top the standing valve and a grip connecter embodying a slee 7e carried at the end of the plunger element and having a nut confined within its bore, the nutbeing capable of limited longitudinal movement with respect to the sleeve but held against rotation therein.

lllhen setting a valve, the shank is threaded into the nut, and the plu-nger, withv valve thus attached thereto, is lowered by the sucker rods until the valve seats within the shoe at the well bottoni. The plunger is then rotated to unscrew the nutfrom the shank, whereupon the plunger is lifted clear of the valve and int-o position for pumping actuation. `When the valve is to be withdraxw'.. the plunger is lowered until the nut and shank be fully threadably engaged before the rods are lifted, yet the operator at the well mouth naturally is unable to tell exactly when the threads of nut and shank take hold and hence when sufhcient rotation of' the rods has been had tol thread the nut Just home. To been the; safe side he. will ordinarily give the rods. more than enough rotation, thereby placing the shank at its juncture with the valve (ordinarily the point of greatest weakness). under severe torsional strains, especially where the valve is sanded into its shoe to such an extent that it strenuously resists, rotation. Shanks are very apt to fracture or threads to strip underlsuch strains, with the result thatvalves, become lost and must be fished out7 usually a long and costly operation. y i

lt is there-fore the principal object of this invention to provide a connect-ion having such characteristics that. these fractures may be avoided. ln general, this. is done by providing a friction-tight slip joint connection between one of the connecter or grip members and its carrying element, preferably between the threaded shank and the standing valve. Then, after the nut is threaded home on the shank,rv subsequent rotation of the nut merely causes rotation of the shank With respect to the standing valve, rather than tending to twist the shank in two or stripping `the threads vof nut or shank. y

A spring is preferably employed for maintaining such frictional contact between the valve and shank that rotation of the shank with respect to the valve is resisted to a sufficient extent to insure that the shank is normally held stationary while the nut is being threaded or unthreaded therefrom.V

Other novel features and objects of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a sectional, contracted view of the lower end of a pump barrel, the plunger being shown approximately at the lower limit of the working stroke of the pump;

Fig. 2 is a-view similar to Fig.l l but shows the plunger lowered until Vthe grip sleeve is in contact with the standing valve shank;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, medial f but this is merely for the purpose of illusstruction l Fi 8- is a view of the modiiication shown in Fim?, but showing the grip sleeve in elevation and screwed partially down on the standing valve; and

p Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the grip sleeve screw fully home.

vWe have shown our deviceV as applied to a -cupless pump plunger, the peripheral face of which is ground to it the working barrel,

.trating one application of the invention and is not to be construed asa limitation thereof. Neither is the showing ofa particular type of pump lining, working and standing valve, etc., to be construed as in any way limiting ,the invention.

"As `will be khereinafter set forth, the plunger element and standing valve each carry a grip member adapted to engage one 'another threadably when connection is to be made between element and valve.- t is v,the principal feature of the invention to have one or the other of these gripping members capable of axial rotation with respect Vto its carrying element after full threaded engagement has been had, such rotation to be in a thread engaging direction, though yieldable means are provided for resisting such rotation so thread engagement and dis- V'engagement may be initiated by relative bereferred to, connecter which comprises,

rotation of the members. lt `is preferable that the valve-carried member be the rotatable one, and we have so shown it, though this is not to be construed as limitative on the invention, consideredV in its" broader aspects.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 generally indicates a grip7 or, as it will hereinafter in part, a cylindrical sleeve ll adapted to be attached to the plunger element generally indicated at l2. llhis plunger element is made up of the usual valve cages, bushings,

etc.,arranged in any operative manner, and vthe connecter iszuilapted` to besecui'ed to the lowermost member ofthe element whether vit be "the plunger proper, working valve or y It issof advantage to locate the'standing and Vworking valves as close other member- `together was'ipossible, v thereby reducing the undesirable effectv arising from the compression of gas between the two valves.` `We have therefore illustrated the use of a bottom valve for the plunger, and have shown the connecter attached directly there to, without intending to infer that the connecter is limited to the specific mode of attachment, or to attachment to this particular member of the alunger element.

rl`he working barrel l supports pump liners la within which the plunger element l() is adapted to be reciprocated by the usual sucker rods l5, the tubular plunger proper 16 and liners lt being ground to lit. At the lower extremeties of barrel 13 and liner lll, is the shoe 17 Vhaving the usual tapered seat lli forieceiving the tapered extremity of standing valve 19.

rlhe cage 20 of valve 19 has a crown portion or element 2l whichv presents an upwardly facing and preferably, substantially fiat shoulder 22. Extending vertically and with relatively easy lit through a bore 23 in crown 2l is the pin portion 24 of a shank generally indicated at 25 and constituting a grip member for the standing valve with which it is coaxial, The pin has a head 26 which is received for rotation in counter bore 27 at the under side of the crown; the upper face 28 of the head being held in frictional contact with the under face 29 of the crown by a split spring washer 30, or its equivalent, which is seated on awear washer 30 in counter bore 3l at the upper face of the crown and engages the downwardly facing annular shoulder 32 provided en the shank by collar 83. rlhis collar may be screwed down to position over the upwardly extending, threadedv extremity 34, of the shank, (though this screw connection between collar and shank is not essential to the invention, considered in its broader aspects) and then se ired in any suitable manner, as by pin 35, against rotation with respect to the shank.` Head 26 may have sockets 26 to take a Spanner wrench whereby the shank may be held or turned when collar 33 is threaded onto the shank, Vthile the shank is capable of axial rotation with respect to the standing valve, spring or washer 3G acts as a brake tending to resist such rotation by virtue of the frictional contact caused thereby between the crown and pin head and between the-spring and wear washer or spring and collar, depending upon whether or not the spring rotates with the shank. Collar 33V provides an upwardly facing annular shoulder 36 which is spaced appreciably below the upper end of the shank.

,The valveball l2 is confined within sleeve l() and is limited in its vertical kmovement by valve seat 44: 'and the stirrup bumper 43 on bushing 89. Sleeve 1l of connecter l0 iio has an extension 45 adapted tov be threaded into the bore of valve sleeve 40, and valve seat 44 has an annular flange 46 adapted to be clamped between the internal flange 47 ot sleeve 40 and the upper extremity of extension 45, whereby the seat is retained in proper position.

Fitting relatively loosely and capable of longitudinal sliding' movement within the bore of sleeve 11, is a grip member on nut 48 which is co-axial with sleeve 11 and hence with plunger element 12. The internal, annular sleeve flange 49 presents an upwardly facing shoulder 50 which limits the sliding movement of the nut downwardly when the connecter is clear of the standing valve. Nut 48 is held against any appreciable amount of rotary movement with respect to the sleeve by any of the well known keying or splining methods. lVe have illustrated one such method in the form ot a key 51 carried by and Vextending inwardly from sleeve 11, and thence projecting into the longitudinally extending slot or way 52 milled in the peripheral face of nut 48.

Sleeve 11 is of slightly less outside diameter than is the plunger element, and slots 53 are provided through the sleeve and preferably ,extend above nut 48 even when the latter is at the limit of its upward movement. Nutl 48 preferably' has slots 54. which open at their upper ends to the sleeve bore.

When standing valve 19 is to be set, itl is manually rotated to thread shank 25 into nut 48, washer 30 holding the shank against rotation with sufficient force to allow this threaded engagement to be made easily. Preferably, though not necessarily, a spring 55 is interposed between the upper end of nut 48 and the bottom of seat 44V to exert a downward pressure on the nut and thereby aid in initiating threaded engagement between the nut and shank.

Preferably, also, the vertical spacing of collar shoulder 36 and crown shoulder 22 is greater than the vertically measured distance between the lower end of sleeve 11 and sleeve shoulder 50, so when nut 48 is in full threaded engagement with the shank to bring the lower end of the nut down on shoulder 36, flange 49 will not so spread the nut and head 26 that the shank is bindingly held against rotation by the exertion 'of a reasonable rotative fore Y The connecter and standing valve are now in the condition of Fig. 4, and the whole assembly is lowered through the working barrel unt-il the valve seats in shoe 17. During the lowering process, air and fluid beneath the standing valve passes around sleeve 11 and to the interior of the plunger through passageways 53 and 54, the building up of pressure beneath the plunger thereby being prevented.

The valve is pressed home by pressure directed on shoulder 22 of crown 2.1 bythe lower end of sleeve 11, no strain being imposed on the threaded connection between valveand connecter grip by such pressure. By screwing the shank only partially into nut 48, the valve may be hammeredV or driven home by short strokes of the plunger, the space between the bottom of the nut and flange shoulder 50 providing the necessary lost motion, and the blow being delivered by the end of sleeve 11 on crown shoulder 22. The pitch of the nut and shank threads is preferably such that when the plunger, with valveattached, is moved vertically through'the pump tubing there is no danger ol the connecter becoming uncoupled trom the valve by reason of vibration orl other conditions which might tend to unscrew the coupling, even though the shank be not tightly screwed into the nut.

After the valve is firmly seated, it isr frietionally retained against rotary movement within the shoe, and plunger 12, and hence connecter 10, is rotated through the medium ol the sucker rods in a manner to unscrew nut 48 from shank 25, the nut moving upwardly through the sleeve bore during this period and spring 30 holding the shank against rotation with the nut. As soon as the nut is completely unscrewed from the sha-nk, the plunger is raised to pumping position (F ig. 1) and during subsequent pumping strokes there will exist no co-action between the connecter and standing valve. Fluid flowing into the pump barrel between the standing valve and the plunger during an upstroke of the pump, passes, during the succeeding down stroke of the pump, through t-he nut bore and valve 41 into the plunger bore. Fluid also passes upwardly about sleeve 11 and through passageways 53 and 54 to the interior of the plunger element. lt is evident that the connecter in no way interferes with the proper functioning of the pump, and that slots 53 and 54 insure ample passageways for the inlet of fluid.

In case the plunger strokes too low, for instance, by reason of the sucker rods becoming stretched, the consequent contacting ot connecter and standing valve will not damage the nut or shank threads, for the nut immediately comes to rest on top the shank, though sleeve 11 may continue downwardly.

ln case the standing valve is to be picked up, plunger 12 is lowered to the position of Fig, 2, nut 48 first coming to rest on top shank 25, and sleeve 11 continuing in its downward movement until its lower end bears on standing valve crown shoulder 22. Due to the co-axial arrangement of shank 25, plunger 12, sleeve 11 and nut 48, the threaded bore ot' the nut registers with shank 25 so, upon subsequent rotation of plunger 12 and connecter 10 through the medium of sucker rods 15, nut 48 is screwed onto shank 25, spring 4Now,.were the shank to be non -rotatively connected to the valve, any ,added rotative torce applied to the nut would tend to twist the shank oli or to Vstrip the nutor shank threads, that is if the standing valve is sanded in or for some` other reason resists rotation, with obviously undesirable results. Since it is almost impossible for the operator to tell exactly when the nut is home, and the tendency is to rotate the rods excessively so there'will be no `doubt that connection is 1 Viiully. made, such failure ot" the shank due to excessive torsional strains is quite trequent. However, with our device in use, excessive rotation of the nut in a thread engaging direction merely causes rotation of the shank against 'the action of spring washer 30. ln other words, there is a slipiointf7 connection between connecter and standing valve which holds under normal torsional strains and yields to allow slippage when the torsion al strains are excessive.

As soon as connection is made, thevalve is lifted bodily along with the plunger.

ln order that, even with the nut threaded fully home,.there maybe ample lost motion between `the connecter sleeve and valve to allow the valve to be `hammered home by reciprocating the sleeve to contact it repeatedly `with the valve crown, or to the valve loose from its shoey by reciprocating the The device as there shown is identical with sleeve to contact its internal llange sharply and repeatedly with the lowerV end of the nut, Vve may iaslnon the device as shown iii l* ig. 6.

the device shown in Fig. 3, corresponding` parts are therefore numbered similarly, er:- cept that collar is so disposed or proportioned in length that shoulder 36Ct otA collar 33EL is spaced aconsiderably greater distance above crown shoulder 22. Hence, when nut 48 is. threaded down on sha-nk 25 until its lower end contacts with shoulder 36, there will be a considerable space between sleeve .shoulder 30 and the lower endof the nut, allowing an ap'ireciable amount oi relative vertical movement between sleeve and nut..

ln Figs, 7, 8 and 9 is shown a slightly modified embodiment of the invention Aand the occasion for providing thisl modification may be explained Vas, follows: lt sometimes happens 'thattlie nut isthreaded home on the shank with such torce that reverse rotation ofthe-nut with respect tothe shank (when the connecter is to be uncoupled from the seated standing valve) is resisted to an undesirable degree, the shank tending to revolve with the nut against the action of spring 30. The connecter then will not come free from the standing valve, and the latter will be picked up from its seat when the plunger is liftedto its working position. 'The pump will then be inoperative and the only remedy is to pull the entire string and make substitutions or changes. `lilith the device constructedin accordance with Figs. 7, Sand 9, such happenings are prevented by so fashioning the parts that the connecter nut may not be threaded onto the shank in a manner effectively to resist subsequent unscrewing.

4All parts ot these figures as are similar tocorresponding parts in the other figures are given similar numbers. The following changes are made, however. The upwardly lfacing Vshoulder 361 oi collar 33b and the downwardly facing shoulder of nut 48h are complementarily spiraled, thespirals being of substantially the same lead as that of the screw threads of shank 25 and nut 43".

Shouldersl and 62,v fo 1ined between the ends of spiral faces 60, and36l, respectively, extend substantially parallel to the aires of nut and shank.

The spirals of the collar and nut are in lill such predetermined relation with their" threads, and hence with the threads ot the common shank that when nut 48 is threaded down to such a point that it'is capable ot but one more. complete revolution before shoulders 6l and 62 engage (see Fig. 8)

point 63 of the nut vertically clears point 64 of collar 33b by a slight margin (preterably by considerably less than the lead of the threads and spiral). Shoulders 6l and 62 are necessarily substantially equal in length to the lead ot the threads (for the lead ot the threads and the spiralsare the saine, and

Vshoulders 6l and 62 extend substantially perpendicularly from end to end of a single spiral convolution) and therefore when nut v48h is revolved 360 (see Fig. 9) beyond its position as sliownin Fig. 8,v shoulcer 6l will engage shoulder 62 to prevent turtiier rotation of the nut, but the entire extent of tace 60 will clear face 361 by a vertical distance Y equal to the distance by which points 63 and 64 cleared when last passing.

63 and 6d cleared by an amount much less Y Since points than the lead orn the threads, shoulders Gl and 62 overhang each other by an amount only a little less than the thread lead'and hence have ample bearing'suitace and ample backing or stock behind them.

W'ith the collar spiral cut properly for' a given installation, vit will be seen that the collar ,may be threaded to any position on the shank bel'ore it is pinned and yet the collar and nut spirals will clear when the vertical shoulder engage one another. The advantages of this feature from a manufacturing standpoint will be .apparent to those skilled in the art.

Since there is vertical end `clearance `between the opposed faces of the nut and collar when in the position of Fig. '9, there "is no possibility of frictional Contact between said faces :to cause the .nut to .stick or resist unscrewing action, and the ythreads will not bind in the a'bsence -of any force tending to wedge the nut threads into engagement with the shank threads, a force which would exist were torsional force to be applied to the nut with faces and 36h in engagement.

lownward'l'y facing, annular Vshoulder ^66 of nut 48a., overlies sleeve shoulder 5() but is spaced considerably thereabove when vshoulders 6l and-62 are in engagement so the sleeve and -nut lmay be capable of limited' relative longitudinal movement whereby the valve may be hammered .home or jai-red loose as described in connection with Fig. 6.

lV'hen shoulders 61 and G2 `are in contact (Fig. 9) the nut may be considered -as in full threaded engagement with the shank, and subsequent Vrotation of .the nut in a threadengaging direction serves merely to rotate shank '.25 against the 'actionlof spring 'washer 30, tothe end mentioned in connection with the same feature as disclosed in the other views.

It will be understood the drawings 'and description .are `to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader .claims .appended hereto, for various changes in design, structure land arrangement may be made vwithout departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

l. ln a device of the character described, a plunger element land -a standing valve yelement, a-pgrip member carried on vlthe plunger element, a grip member carried en the stand ing valve element, said member-s being vjeable with yone 4another upon relative 'rotation of the plunger and valve elements, and a slip-joint connection between one ol" the members and its carry- 'in-g element adapted vto allow Jrelative rotation therebetween in thread engaging ld=irections after the two members are in full threadable enga-gement.

2. In device of the character described, a plunger element and a standing valve element, a grip member carried on t-he plunger element, al grip member carried on the standing valve element, said members being tlnfeadably engageable with one another upon relative rotation of the plunger and valve elements, and a friction-tight slip-jointconnection between one of the members and its carrying element adapted to allow relative rotation therebetween in thread engaging directions after the two members are in full threadable engagement.

lable engagement, and a spring acting '3. Ina device -of the character described, a plunger element andA a standing valve element, Va grip membercarried on fthe p`lu-nger element, a grip member carried en the standing' valve element, said members lbeing tlneadably engageable with one another upon relative yrotation of the ,plunger a-nd valve elements, ka slip joint connection between one of the members and its carrying element adapted to allow relative rotation therebetween in thread engaging directions after .the two members are in full threadbetween said one member and its carrying -ele ment and ladapted yieldingly to resist such rotation.

4l. Adevice of the character described, ernbodying a plunger element and a standing val e, Va 'coaxial threaded shank Von and axially rotatable with respect to the sta-nding 4val-ve, yieldable means adapted to resist such rotation, a connecter -on :the plunger element and comprising `a slee-ve and a nut which is longitudinally slidable but non-rotative wit-hin ythe sleeve, said nut 'bei-ng .adapted to register with the threaded shank `when Athe plunger element Ais `lowered into Contact with the standing valve, and being` Yadapted threadably to engage the threaded shank 1upon subsequent ,rotation of the plunger element.

A device of the character described, embodying -a plunger element and a standaxially rotatable with respect'to the standing valve, yieldable means adapted to resist such rotation, a connecter on the plunger element and comprising a sleeve and :a -nutwhich is longitudinally slidable but non-rotative within the sleeve, said nut 1being .adapted to register with the threaded shank when the plunger element is lowered into Contact with the standing valve, spring means acting between the sleeve and nut Aadapted yield'ingly to .press the nut into end 4engagement with the shank'when they are `so registered, said nut bei/ng adapted threadably to engage the .threaded shank upon `sub sequent rotation of the plunger element.v

n 6. ln a standing valve, acage, an upstanding shank .on the -cage YandV Ieml'oodying a headed pin extending vertically and cenrally through the `crown of the cage and being axially rotatable with respect thereto, the head of the pin being disposed beneath the crown, a collar on the pin and longitudinally spaced from the top of the crown,

and a spring about the pin between the crown and collar adapted to hold said pin with its head in frictional engagement with the under face of the crown and thereby effect yieldable resistance to axial rotation of the pin; and threads on the pin above the collar.

7. In a pump, a plunger element, a standing valve, a coaxial threaded shank on and y Ving-valve, a coaxial threaded shank on and axially rotatable with respect to the valve,

yieldable means adapted to resist such rotation, a connecter on the plunger element and embodying a sleeve, a non-rotatableV nut mounted for limited longitudinal sliding movement within the sleeve and adapted to engage the shank threadably when the sleeve and valve are relatively rotated, a shoulder on the valve adapted to be engaged by the nut to establish the limit ot longitudinal 4movement ofthe nut along the shank in one direction, the nut being in iull threaded engagement with the shank when at said limit, a second shoulder on the valve adapted to be 4engaged by the sleeve i'or limiting sleeve movement in said one direction when said nut and shank are in full threaded engagement, and means adapted to limit longitudinal movement oi' the sleeve in the opposite direction when the nut and shank are in lull threaded engagement' vs-aid second shoulder 7 ,d i, 1 and said means being longitudinally spaced to permit relative longitudinal movement ot the sleeve and nut when said nut is in full Y threaded engagement with the shank.

8. In combination, a plunger element and a standing valve, alcoaXial threaded shank and axially rotatable with respect to the standing valve, yieldable means adapted to Vresist suchV rotation, a connecter on the alunqer element adapted to engage said l. L.. C b

Vadapted to be moved into gripping relation with" one another by virtue of relative rotation of the plunger 4and valve elements, and a i'ictional slip-joint connection between one oit the members and its carrying element adapted to allow non-stopped rela- -tive rotation therebetween.

10. In a device or' the character described, a plunger element and a standing valve, element, a grip member carried on the plunger element, a grip membercarried on the standing valve element,'said members being on the shank until itsV upper face is spaced from the end of theshank, means .holding said collar against movement relative to the shank, a connecter on the plunger element and embodying a sleeve, a non-rotatable nut mounted tor limited longitudinal sliding movement in the sleeve and adapted to engage the shank threadably whenthe sleeve and valve are relatively rotated, and a shoulder on the collar adapted to engage the nut to stop movement of said nut longitudinally along the threaded shank before said nut is threaded along the shank a suiiicient distance to engage the upper tace of the collar with suiheicnt force to resist reverse rotation of the nut with respect to the shank.

1Q. ln a'standing valve, a cage, an upstanding shank on the cage and vembodying a headed pin extending vertically and centrally through the crown of the cage and beingl axially rotatable with respect thereto, the head 'of Athe pin being disposed beneath the crown, a collar on the pin and longitudinally spaced from the top of the crown, the upper face of the collar being cut spirally, and a spring about the pin between the crown and collar adapted to hold said pin with its head in frictional engagement with the under :tace of the crown and thereby etteet yieldable resistance to axial rotation ot the pin g and threads on the pin above the collar, the lead or' the threads and spiral being substantially equal.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 18th ,day of Fen, 1926.

ROBERT WV. GUNN. WILLSE A. S. THOMPSON. 

